1965 Porsche 356C

The 356 was a lightweight and nimble-handling rear-engine rear-wheel-drive 2-door sports car available in hardtop coupe and open configurations. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports success and popularity. Production started in 1948 at Gmünd, Austria, where approximately 50 cars were built. In 1950 the factory relocated to Zuffenhausen, Germany, and general production of the 356 continued until April 1965, well after the replacement model 911 made its autumn 1963 debut. Of the 76,000 originally produced, approximately half survive.

The 356C was for the most part visually indistinguishable from the 356B, but Porsche’s perfectionist refinements seen over the model’s final two years continued to be meaningful. The backlight on the coupe was enlarged, seats were dropped for added headroom, and for the first time, four-wheel disc brakes were standard issue. The Super 90 engine (now called the 1600SC) achieved 95-hp.